


What was there (but wasn't)

by Dontjudgemyfanfichistory



Series: Mask [2]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Drama, Fluff, Gen, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Mask had depression but heaven help him if he knows it, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, References to Depression
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:22:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26274817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dontjudgemyfanfichistory/pseuds/Dontjudgemyfanfichistory
Summary: What I wanted to put in the original story but wasn't given the chance to.Mostly one shots or two shots, this will have scenes from before, during, and after the events of Mask.More tags will be added as people and events show up/take place
Relationships: Malon (Legend of Zelda)/Time (Linked Universe), Time & Twilight (Linked Universe), Time & Warriors (Linked Universe)
Series: Mask [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1908859
Comments: 6
Kudos: 96





	1. Where was he?

**Author's Note:**

> It took a while but here it is! The boy is back in town. 
> 
> Here's how Mask himself ended up in the forest where the others got there. And also how he started this whole journey in the first place.

Link was. . . Link was bored. 

Not a new feeling, not really. 

He’d done all his chores for the day, at least all the chores Talon was willing to give a small boy of his stature. No matter how Link insisted he could take on more farmwork, Talon rarely ever budged. 

He’d taken up the task of helping around Lon Lon ranch every few days, Talon gave him a few rupees afterwards and would mumble under his breath about how a boy his age shouldn’t have to work for a living just yet. 

At the moment, you could find Link sitting by himself in the middle of Hyrule Field atop the small stone wall that must’ve been the beginnings of a small town before the civil war stopped any and all plans for construction. 

He checked both of his shoulders, no fairy in sight. Alright, he wasn’t going to get distracted by a new adventure. He wished something would happen. Maybe he could go get lost in the forest and see where that took him, but no, Malon had made him promise to eat dinner with her tonight, and she had made it a pinky promise too. 

Epona was, somewhere. He could always call her to his side if he needed to anyway. Link hopped off of the wall, spying the ranch a distance away. He had left there just this morning, nothing waiting for him there anyway. 

Kakariko then? Yes, he decided. He would walk there until his legs got sore, then he would call Epona to assist him. 

Link knew there was nothing waiting for him in Kakariko, maybe Impa if she was even there, but it was always a rare sight to see her. 

It was late morning right now, but as Link walked along the well worn path towards the village, the sun rose in the sky, casting it's blistering heat across Hyrule. Link did his best to keep to the shadows, it would hardly do him any good if he were to collapse on his way to do nothing.

On his way to do nothing. 

A good way to describe how he's been living his life for the past year? Year and a half? He didn't really keep track of the time (he did) it slipped past him (it didn't). 

Closing his eyes, Link hoped that when he opened them he would be walking in an unfamiliar forest, a new world to discover would keep him from being bored out of his mind wouldn't it? He would get the chance to meet new people, see new things, memorize new maps. 

He still had the maps he brought from the Captains world. He'd snuck them when the Captain was asleep. Off the top of his desk along with some other military reports that had struck his fancy. 

It wasn't his plan to leave that world without a goodbye to the Captain, or the other Zelda, or even a farewell to Proxi, the fairy that had been by the Captains side. It all just happened. Link had felt the urge to leave once the war was won. There really was no reason to stay anyway. 

Looking back Link wished he had toughed it out, stayed for a few more weeks, got more maps. He didn't understand his own fascination with mapping everything, It started in Termina where he had all the time in the world and a traveler's knowledge of the layout. He'd mapped out every inch of the terrain, down to the rocks on the shore of the beach. 

The sound of rushing water filled his ears, he finally opened his eyes. His footsteps had brought him to the banks of the Zora river, the bridge to Kakariko lay a half a mile to his right if he was correct. 

Now would be a good time to call Epona, he thought. 

At his waist, hung by a thin twiny rope, was the Ocarina of Time. He used to hate the shiny blue music maker but now he was numbed to the sight. No longer was it a sacred family heirloom, or a cursed item doomed to fail him. Right now it was an instrument for him to play on and nothing more. 

Epona had come quickly when she heard him play. She was always eager to see him. 

Link grinned as she let him climb him, grabbing her reins."Towards the bridge Girl. We're going to Kakariko." He told her. 

If he was feeling up to it he might don the mask of truth and chat with her for a bit. Epona never had much to say unless she saw something bright, and most of her thoughts revolved around food or the color green. But she was an animal Link could talk to that wasn't a cow. 

There was no hurry to get to the village, but he still got there sooner than he hoped. No one greeted him in the square, no one knew him either. That was okay. 

He waved to Anju's counterpart. She had remembered the time he had helped her with the chickens and had always given him good advice about handling the beasts. She smiled and waved back. Her name was Mary.

He got off Epona and dismissed her. He didn't bother to watch where she roamed, she was safe no matter what she did, Hylia had promised him that much.

Link wandered around the shops. Why did he even come here? There was still nothing to do? He could go into the bowling alley and try that out couldn't he? He liked to do that didn't he?

But no, he didn't find them as fun as the used to, nothing really was fun anymore, just the ever prevailing boredom that he couldn't shake.

The windmill. He trudged up the steps that brought him to the door of the windmills small hut.

He couldn't hear the music playing inside, Ralph must be asleep or in a good mood today. Link pushed the door open, not expecting to see much.

There wasn't much to see, a chair, a moving pedestal that connected to the mill itself, the stone and wood pillars that served as good sitting places and no Ralph in sight. He was asleep then.

Link sighed, alone still. He was tempted to play the song of storms to get this place back in action, the sound of rain hitting the roof and scaring the birds, it was tempting indeed.

He didn't want to walk home in the rain. So he didn't.

To no surprise, Impa wasn't there at all. He knocked at her door for a few minutes before giving up.

He called for Epona again, somewhat pleased to see her. Disregarding the strange looks from the carpenters, he tugged the Mask of Truth from his bag and put it on. "Hey girl." 

Epona had a hard time understanding him, mask or no, she shook her head. " _Ride_?"

"Yes, to the ranch."

" _Friends_."

Link smiled. "Yes. Friends are at the ranch." 

He got on her and they started their way back together.

\---

"You're late." Malon greeted him.

"You have dinner too early." He retorted. It was only five at night. 

"Because we go to sleep early."

"No you don't. You stay up with the cows and don't tell your dad."

Malon huffed and folded arms, turning away from Link as he got odd Epona. "And as long as you don't tell him you get to stay up with me."

It was true, he and Malon spent most of their nights talking in the barn. Link felt bad for it sometimes, keeping her up like this when he knew she got up so early, but she was the only person that liked to talk to him anyway. She was twelve now, she knew when to go to bed.

"Alright fine. Is there still any bread left?" He asked. 

Malon rolled her eyes. "I said you were late, not that you missed dinner. There's soup." She grabbed his hand and tugged him along with her to the house. "Papa's going to worry if I stay out any longer c'mon."

Dinner was good as always. Talon had made it with the help of his daughter, and although he had arrived mid meal, the older man had welcomed him in with no comment of his lateness. 

Talon and Malon were a blessing, They never asked questions. 

Later, at night, when dinner was long gone and Talon thought the children were asleep, Malon opened the door of the barn to see Link lounging on the bales of hay in the corner. 

He waved to her as she scrambled up to sit with him. 

"Why were you late!" She demanded in a loud whisper. "I thought I told you to get here early. I had something to show you!"

"You never said that."

"Yes I did! And now I had to wait because of you."

"I was in Kakariko, I couldn't get here early if I wanted too." He bit back. "Now what did you want to show me?"

"Nu uh, you made me wait through dinner, you get to tell me why you were in Kakariko first." 

Link laid down on his back, hand tucked behind his head. "Nothing. I was in Kakariko to do nothing."

"That's a lie!" Malon frowned. "You're always there because you need something. Did'ya buy anything?"

"Nope."

"Uhhg fine then. Keep your secrets fairy boy, I'll keep mine."

"I'm telling the truth!"

They continued to bicker back and forth, Link insisting for Malon to show him what she was up to and Malon refusing to say anything until he told her what he was up to. 

"Fine. I was in Kakariko to visit the guy in the windmill. You happy?" He lied.

"Somethin tells me you're not telling me the truth."

"Your dad is right. There's no winning with you."

Malon gasped in fake awe. "My papa says nothing of the sort."

"He does."

"He doesn't."

Link groaned and rolled on his side away from her. "Nevermind then. Should I leave?"

"No." Malon slid off the hay. "I'll show ya, follow me." She darted out of the barn, into the night. 

"Finally."

"Where are we going?" He asked her. Malon had run out to the small track where the horses ran, she stood still as she waited for Link to catch up to her.

"To the silo. Right outside the corner."

He followed her there. The darkness made it hard to tell what she was referring to. Malon was pointing to a patch of dirt, a small fence that came up to his knees were surrounding it.

"Dirt?" He guessed.

Malon hit him on his back. "Not dirt! A garden. Papa let me set one up yesterday."

Link looked back at the dirt. There were no sprouts yet, not even weeds. "Why didn't you say anything this morning? I was here?"

"You were busy with the cows. I wanted to have you all to myself."

"There's not anything growing in there is there?" He questioned.

"I'm going with papa tomorrow to Castletown to get some seeds. I want to know if you want to come with?"

Link would normally jump at the chance to go anywhere with Malon, but the idea of sitting in the back of a wagon with the ginger didn't have the pull it would have. 

"I'm busy." He lied again. 

"You are? With what?" Malon asked.

"With," He didn't think of a reason. ". . . Mapping."

"Maps?" Malon echoed. 

"Yeah. Maps. I'm trying to," He glanced to the fence where the woods sat just a few miles away. "I'm mapping the woods. So it's easier for people to travel." He cringed at the lame excuse. 

"The forest? You'd get lost."

"Nope! I uh, I'll be fine. But I really want to do this and I've been putting it off for too long and-" He stopped before he dug himself a deeper pit. "Sorry."

"It's alright." Malon replied, gazing at the garden still. "Do you have any ideas on what I should grow?"

"Tulips would look nice. Maybe lilys if they're in season"

Malon snorted. "No silly, this is for vegetables."

"Oh."

Malon shook her head. "I don't have time for flowers. But you'll come with us next time to get stuff later, right?"

"Sure." Link nodded. "I'll go with you guys next time."

\---

Link was a damn fool for turning Malon down, he thought. Here he was in the forest with nothing better to do than look around his area, a pencil in one hand and parchment in the other. 

It felt wrong to lie to Malon about doing something and then not doing it, so he was now in the forest mapping the place out. In his mind he always used "to the left till you hit the tree with the black roots, then go straight till you hit the river" but apart from the placement of the river, there was no way to put that information down on a map.

Sighing he drew a few lines and moved on. He was starting with the river, then he would move on to landmark spots, the giant clearing next to the river, he'd use his favorite ocarina playing stop as a landmark if he'd half to. But Link was going to map this place out and stop feeling guilty. 

Too bad it was absolutely boring. 

five hours in and he already wished that he would find a few fairies to talk to. Navi and then Tatl and Proxi had spoiled him with the 'always having a sentient being in close proximity to talk to when you're bored.' it was really becoming a problem. 

"Well if no one's gonna talk to me, I'm going to talk to myself."

. . . 

"This is pathetic."

He stayed quiet for a few more hours.

There was no use in trying to find his way out of this forest to find some sort of dinner. Link didn't know which way was the 'exit.' He was lost for the first time in a month and he relished the feeling. 

He had brought all or most of his equipment with him, most of his masks were secure in his bag, the Fierce Deity mask hanging by his hip with the ocarina and sword, the bow on his back as well. Finding dinner was not a problem. 

He did however, suck at cooking. Link ate his burnt rabbit by himself, doodling on the page of one of his maps as he did so. He could sleep in one of the trees too, it’s what he did when he was seventeen and still getting used to his 'adult' body. There were several good options around him right now if he took the time to look.

After 'dinner' he settled himself down in the crook of a branch. He'd picked a spot near the mouth of an open cave, intent on exploring it further when he woke up. The trees were thinner here if there was anything getting too close to him he would know right away.

\---

The echo of voices startled him awake. Link grabbed his bow and pulled it tight almost on instinct. The cave, right below him. There were voices coming from the cave. 

Link relaxed, if there were people here it was more manageable than monsters. It was most likely some people who had gotten lost. 

He strained his ears to hear any more words coming from the opening. "-hurry up and get some sun why don't we?"

They didn't sound dangerous. Link quickly rubbed the sleep from his eyes, ready to possibly greet these people once they left the cave. It was strange though, Link was fairy sure it was a dead end. 

A brunette stepped out into the light, covering his face from the sun. "Ok. Who could possibly have a Hyrule this nice?" The newcomer asked. "This is just too good."

Different Hyrules? Foreigners?

More people, young men, crowded around the entrance of the cave.

"Seems like your prediction of meeting someone was correct." One of them spoke "I wonder what though, would we still have ended up here if we didn't go through the cave. Is this a time based thing or a place? Will it still happen if we're not in a specific location?"

Definitely not from here. 

Link stopped listening to them. Opting instead to great them the only way he knew how to greet strange people from different Hyrules.

He let the arrow fly.


	2. Lost Tooth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Boat shenanigans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place when they're on the boat. Mask is a kid, Four is way to eager to punch him in the face.

Wild had to admit, it was harder to cook on a boat. Not too much harder, he wasn’t going to die anytime soon, but the constant move of the boat and the fact that it was all wood, made it difficult to use giant fires and bubbling pots. There was a mock kitchen on the Sunset, a few sheets of metal plated on the ground obviously put there for a fire, but Wild wasn’t going to try and cook anything big. Searing over a small fire it would have to make do. 

Wind, who surprisingly knew more about sea cooking than him, followed him down to make sure ‘he did everything alright.’

Wild thought he did an okay job. Glazed meat was something that he had cooked before, it wasn’t everyone’s favorite, but it was good for the moment. 

The sky above them was cloudy enough, Wild made the decision to ask Wind to call everyone down to the kitchens and not the deck above. There were no tables leading mealtimes to feel more like picnics than actually family meals. At least Wild had cutlery and plates. 

Mask glared at the food he was given when Wild handed him his plate. As if it had offended him in some way. 

Wild took notice. “Something wrong?” 

Mask squinted at the meat. “Is this tough meat?”

“Don’t be rude. It’s just seared.” Warriors chastised. 

“I’m not being rude, ‘m just asking a question.” Mask shoveled a piece in his mouth. 

“It’s pan seared?” Wild offered. “Can you not eat hard meat?”

Mask scowled. “I can eat whatever I want.” 

“Don’t talk with your mouth full.”

Everyone continued on, good responses from everyone except the resident grumpy boy, who simply said it was ‘not soft enough.’ Whatever he meant by that. It wasn’t even steak. 

Dinner had ended, and early night caught up to them. Their predictions had been correct, the sky had started pouring out onto the sea. Not bad enough to worry, but no one would be sleeping above ship.

“Is there enough room in the below?” Twilight questioned. “We have the small kitchen and the one cabin, no beds.”

“The four youngest can take the room. The rest get the kitchens.” Warriors decided. “We each have our own blankets and some bedrolls, but I know there are tarps in the small cupboard. They’re not comfortable but they would be used in lue of a wood floor, which personally is a step up.”

“Do I count as-”

“Mask, I count you as the youngest.”

“Dammit.”

Mask, Four, Wind, and Hyrule were left to decide who got what part of the room. 

“I have the most body mass, I get at least a third of the room.” Hyrule stated. “I bet you could all fit into the same sleeping bag.”

“Watch your words, they might be your last.” Four joked. 

The room wasn’t very big either. Laying down they would all be touching in some way, Hyrule while not very tall, was the tallest of the bunch at a very respectable five feet and five inches. The length of the room was just barely brushing six by six feet.

“This is the height of luxury.” Mask cried when shoved into his sleeping bag by Wind. “Welcome to my bungalow, oh ye peasants that wish to share this space with me. A tax must be paid-” Four threw his blanket over his head. 

“I’m going to smother you.” He threatened. 

“-o it coward. I’ll live.” 

Four rolled his form to the corner. “This is your timeout corner. This is what you deserve.”

“Yeah!” WInd agreed. “Stay in your corner.”

“Why are you so mean to me?” The muffled voice said. “I’m going to bite you when I get out of here.”

“Quick, I have rope, let’s tie him up.” Hyrule suggested. 

“If you do that I’m going to kill you.” Mask shook the blanket off his head. “There will be no unfair bullying here. Else I tell Warriors.” Despite his mock anger, he was grinning.

“The captain would join us.” Wind hopped in his own blanket. “I’m going to squish you now.”

“No.”

Wind put his head on Mask’s stomach. “You are my pillow now.”

“I trusted you.”

“You were a fool.”

Four rolled his eyes. “I’m touched.” he grabbed his blanket, wrapping it around his shoulders. “Now I’m sleeping on Hyrule's side, no one is going to touch me.”

“To think if I were just one year older I could have spent the night with actual people and not gremlins.” Hyrule lamented. “Wild owes me something for this.”

“Wild cooks the food.” Four argued. “We’ve seen you cook, you should be grateful.”

“Shut up.”

\---

The kitchen was bigger than the cabin but not by much. Wild had swept up all the coals he had burned, depositing them in a small metal bin in the corner. “We can reuse them if we need to.”

Warriors and Twilight were on one side, Legend and Sky on the other end, Wild at their feet. 

“No sleepover talk.“ Legend mumbled. “I want to sleep and none of you get to ruin that for me.”

“Why? No Hyrule here?” Warriors asked. 

“I’ll kick you if I have too.”

“Fine, fine. Night everyone.”

“Goodnight,” “Nighty night. ” “Sleep tight.”

\---

Mask glared at the apple he received for breakfast. 

“What now?” Warriors rolled his eyes. “When did you get picky?”

“I’m not picky! I’m just.” Mask continued to shoot dirty looks at the harmless fruit. “I don’t want to eat this.”

“Sounds like you’re picky to me.”

Mask elbowed him in the side. “Stop.”

“Picky.”

Mask shot him a look. “Shut up.”

“Fine. But when you get your underwear untwisted feel free to share with the class what you’ve learned.”

Mask definitely took a bite out of the apple glaring at Warriors as he did. He mumbled something under his breath. 

“What?”

“I have a loose tooth.” Mask repeated.

Well that explained it. 

“What are you, eight?” Warriors couldn’t help but jab at him. 

“Shut up! It’s just one of those back teeth. Probably my last one.” Mask defended. 

“Do you need me to tie a string around it? Flick your tooth to loosen it up?”

Mask cringed at the methods Warriors continued to list out. “You’re barbaric. I’ll just pull it out when it’s loose enough.”

“And that’s why you’re being rude to Wild.”

“I’m not rude! I’m in pain, that's what.”

“And you couldn’t have just said that because?”

“If it makes you feel any better, I still have my baby teeth.” Wind interjected. 

“Hylia!” Warriors jumped. “How long have you been there?” Mask too looked shocked, his hand instinctively going his hip where nothing sat. 

“You’re what, twelve?” Wind kept talking, not bothering to answer Warrior’s question. “I’m thirteen and I still got a few teeth I need to get rid of. Grandma says I’ll be an adult when I get rid of them all.”

Mask gripped his hands around his knees. “I’m already an adult.” He muttered. 

“Sure!” Wind clapped his hand on Mask’s back. “An adult cursed to still have baby teeth. Now I have a few ways of getting them out early. Tell me, are you afraid of heights?”

Time travel. Warriors wasn’t sure how much of Mask’s personal journey he believed. He wasn’t told much in the first place anyway. All that Mask had given away was that he was older than he looked. 

How old? He never said. Was he an adult that had been cursed to age backwards? Or just shoved into a child's body. Or did he age so slowly he would turn one hundred before he hit puberty? Warriors knew that if he asked outright he would be kicked in the shins. 

Hylia, watching Mask squabble with Wind over how to remove baby teeth of all things. Kid was cagey about all things kid related. 

\---

“Mask I’m sure if you asked Four to punch you he would, but that’s not an effective way to remove a tooth. Especially a molar.”

“A what now?”

“Your back teeth. They have names.”

“That’s dumb. Just call them back teeth.” 

“Well  _ I  _ didn’t think of it. Get mad at someone else.”

“Why does everyone think I’m mad?” Mask exclaimed. “I’m not mad!” 

Wind shrugged. “You’re always mad at something. I’m just assuming.” 

Mask stared at Wind. 

“What?”

“I can’t believe you.”

\---

“Four, punch me in the face-” 

No hesitation, Four clocked Mask in the jaw.

Mask stumbled back, hands going to grip the right side of his face. “I was going to say the left side dumbass. You punch like a moblin.”

Four raised an eyebrow. “Sorry? Do you want me to get the other side?”

“Yes. As long as you let me hit you in the face to get even.” 

“Deal?”

\---

“You’re bleeding!” Twilight fretted over Mask, who was indeed dripping blood out of his mouth, sporting two bruises on each side of his face. 

“I lost a tooth.” He told Twilight smugly.

“What? How?”

“I got into a fistfight with Four. He knocked out a tooth” He gave a toothy grinned, immediately regretting it as blood and spit dripped out. “Damn.”

“Get cleaned up.” Warriors instructed. “I don’t want you bleeding everywhere on this ship.”

“Aye aye cap’n- shit more blood.”

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to suggest further prompts or let me know if there is was anything you wanted to see!


End file.
